


Window to the Past

by HPbooks4life



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, F/F, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm half asleep just ignore these please, M/M, Nico gets a cousin, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, i don't even know what this is, if you like i love u, ive had this idea forever, oh also Solangelo IS MY OTP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24408295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HPbooks4life/pseuds/HPbooks4life
Summary: No. This wasn’t possible.She was dead.Or at the very least, an old lady. Nico remembered now - memories of laughter filled his mind, sunlight glinting off of burnt cinnamon hair, sparkling honey-colored eyes. This wasn’t possible…ORRead the tags dummy
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo & Hazel Levesque, Nico di Angelo & Original Female Character(s), Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Comments: 34
Kudos: 60





	1. Nico - Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Ok. So hi. I know I've been MIA for, like, a while, should probably be updating one of my million unfinished chaptered fics, instead of writing whatever the hell this is and started another one. I'm a masochist with no willpower to finish things. It's a problem.
> 
> Anyway, I am hoping to wrap this up pretty quickly. I don't have many ideas (for once), just really liked this concept, so this'll probably only have two or three chapters (she says knowing it's a flat-out lie and this will be a two-year, forty chapter project). The next chapter will hopefully be out pretty soon, maybe in a day or two. I hope you like it, because I've been in a really terrible headspace for, like, a month now, and this kinda helped me get back into my writing.
> 
> ALSO. Recently discovered that NICO WAS 14 DURING BOO. I thought he was, like, 16?! This kid went through Tartarus ALONE and got TRAPPED IN A JAR for A WEEK. I had a lot of respect for this kid, but. Like. Now it's pretty much doubled.
> 
> Enjoy!

Nico was not having a good day.

It’d all started around eight o’clock that morning, which, in Nico’s opinion, was far too early for any living being to even be awake. Unfortunately, however, the Stolls pulled some bizarre prank involving pots and pans, chanting, and a megaphone screaming “WHERE’S THE BEEF?” like an old lady. Nico had no idea what was going on. He didn’t care. He just wanted it to stop. Now.

Finally, deciding sleep was a lost cause, Nico dragged himself out of bed. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he groaned. 

Eight thirty. Who in gods’ name is up at eight thirty.

Sighing, he stumbled blearily around the dark room, pulling on a pair of black skinny jeans. Then, realizing he had virtually no clean shirts (it was wash day), he had to go on a ten minute manhunt until he found a black t-shirt that had seen better days, but was at least clean. It was the middle of July, so he decided against his aviator jacket, instead just running his fingers through his hair. He glanced in the mirror, deemed himself semi-presentable, and stumbled out of his cabin and into the sunlight.

Blinking against the harshness of the sudden glare, Nico looked around. He could still hear the clanging and screaming, which he could now make out as coming from the direction of the dining pavilion. Deciding he didn’t feel like dealing with it right this second - or ever - Nico started up the hill toward the Big House, where he knew Will would already be working. They could hang out for a while, and then maybe grab breakfast together when the noise died down. Nico would just skip the meal altogether, but he knew Will would never allow it. He grinned at the thought. He was probably up at 6am, or some other ungodly hour. That  _ idiota _ lectured everyone else about self-care, but he would run himself into the ground if he were allowed.

Nico went around to the side of the Big House, pushing open the screen door that led to the infirmary. He gave Kayla, who was stocking the supply closet, a friendly wave, and she smiled at him. “He’s doing his rounds,” she said, pointing toward the far end of the room.

“Thanks,” he replied, making his way over to the mop of blond curls peeking out from behind a privacy curtain.

It’d been nearly two years since the war with Gaea. In that time, the demigods had had to deal with a god-turned-human, a friend who died and came back to life, a friend who really did die, evil Roman emperors, a giant serpent, and so, so, so much more. Nico was just about ready to give the gods a piece of his mind. But the thing that probably stuck out to him the most was his relationship with Will.

The son of Apollo was everything Nico wasn’t - bright, happy, loud, likable, kind, easy-going, good natured, and about a thousand other things that Nico would never be. But somehow, for some bizarre, insane, mind-melting reason, he liked Nico.

And Nico liked him.

Like, a lot.

When Nico reached him, Will was talking to a patient - Harley. The son of Hephaestus had been in here every other day for the past few weeks, as a result of repeatedly blowing up one of his inventions. Will, predictably, was pissed.

“- and if you can’t handle being in the forges, I’ll have to talk to Nyssa about keeping you out.”

“No! Please Will, I almost had it this time! A little more tinkering and it’ll -”

“A little more tinkering? Harley, at the rate you’re going, a little more tinkering might lose you a limb!”

“Please Will? I really think I’ve got it this time. Pleeaase?” Harley stuck out his lower lip, widening his eyes and clasping his hands. Nico snorted quietly. He must really want this. Will was toast.

Sure enough, he took one look at Harley’s expression and melted. “Alright. One more chance.  _ One,” _ he added when he saw Harley’s excited expression, “And if it doesn’t work this time, you’re finished with it. Clear?”

Harley nodded so fast Nico wasn’t sure his head would stay attached to his body. “Promise! Thanks, Will!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico said, sliding his arms around Will’s waist and resting his head on his shoulder. “We all know he’s a pushover.”

“Hey!”

Nico grinned. “It’s true though.”

Will pouted, and Harley and Nico both laughed. “You’d better scram, kid. Wouldn’t want him to actually grow a backbone for once.” Nico wiggled his eyebrows, and with a parting giggle, Harley hopped out of bed and left the infirmary.

“Conspiring with my patients against me? That’s a serious offense, Di Angelo.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up. You love it.” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the invention?”

Will sighed. “A flamethrower.”

“A worthy thing to lose a limb to,” Nico said with a grin.

Will snorted. “Yeah. Not.”

“Yeah yeah. C’mere.”

He pulled the other boy in for a kiss, which Will happily reciprocated, turning in Nico’s arms and sliding his arms around his shoulders. He smiled against Nico’s lips.

“What?” Nico mumbled, grinning up at him despite himself.

Will shook his head, looking down at Nico with such tenderness he was pretty sure he was about to melt. “Nothing. Just… I love you, Neeks.”

Nico blushed and looked down. They’d only said that to each other recently, and he was still getting used to it. Someone loving him.

“Love you too,” he said quietly, his face so warm he was sure he was about to combust. Will let out a little laugh at his face, and Nico shoved him away. “Meanie.”

Will gasped in mock offense. “How dare you! Just for that -” He grabbed Nico around the waist, throwing him over one shoulder.

Nico let out a rather embarrassing shriek, hammering at Will’s shoulder. “Put me down, Solace!” he yelled, trying to ignore how his face was glowing red and his heart was beating out of his chest.

“Nope. Punishment. Shut up.”

“Will, I swear to gods I will send a pack of line-dancing skeletons after you. They’ll follow you. For days. And do the Macarena.”

Will set him down and looked him in the eye. “We need to have a chat about the mental state you’re in when you think of these things.”

Nico just raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m kidding, Solace?”

“He’s not,” said Kayla as she passed. “He did it to Cecil Markowitz last week. It was hilarious.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “Ookay then.” He grinned. “What’d Cecil do?”

“Irritate me,” Nico shot at him, and Will laughed.

“Alright, alright, I'm sorry. But you have to admit.” He winked. “It’s funny.”

“Not in the slightest,” Nico grumbled.

“Oh yeah,” Kayla turned to Nico, “The Stolls finally shut up. Apparently Lou Ellen lost patience with them and sent them back to their cabin via Mist trapdoor. I assume they’re why you’re here without breakfast?”

Nico let out a dry laugh. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yep.” She grinned. “C’mon, you’re basically like our food delivery service at this point.” She poked him in the shoulder. “I’ll take an egg and cheese bagel and some orange juice, thank you.”

Nico rolled his eyes and gave her a sarcastic salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

She grinned. “Good. And make it snappy, I’m starving.”

Nico snorted, turning and starting toward the front of the infirmary. “Whatever, Kayla. Just tell your brother to keep his hands to himself.”

“Oh c’mon! It was  _ kinda _ funny,” Will called, chasing after him and slipping an arm around his shoulders. “Besides,” he grinned, “Do you  _ really _ want me to keep my hands to myself?”

Nico’s entire face bloomed red. “Shut up,” he muttered, crossing his arms and ducking his head.

Will grinned even wider. “Nope.”

They continued bickering all the way to the dining pavilion and through breakfast, eventually losing track of what they were even arguing about in the first place. When that happened, Will shut Nico up with a decidedly  _ not _ chaste kiss, which earned them several wolf whistles. Nico’s responding hand gesture made it perfectly clear what he thought of  _ that. _

“Aww, they’re just adorable couple-deprived since Annabeth and Percy left,” Lou Ellen said with a grin.

Nico let out a sound of disgust. “If I ever,  _ ever _ become as disgusting as those two,  _ please _ put me out of my misery.”

“Hey!” Will said, laughing, “I like mushy stuff.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and remind me why I put up with you again?”

“But it’s my mission in life to convert you!”

“That’s sad.”

“I’d think you’d be happy I’m so invested in our relationship.” Will leaned closer and grinned mischievously, his eyes dancing with laughter and his arm wrapping around Nico’s waist. “’Til death do us part, right?”

Nico groaned, covering his face so no one could see how red he’d become. “That will never, I repeat,  _ never _ be funny.  _ Ever.” _

It looked as though Will was about to retort, but before he could, Austin came running up, red faced and panicked-looking.

Will looked at him, confused. “What’s wrong?”

“A - a new demigod. Found her near the border. She and her friend were running from a hellhound, and -” Austin winced. “It’s not looking good, Will.”

Immediately, Will was in doctor mode. He straightened up, releasing Nico and jumping to his feet. He turned and started toward the infirmary, strides long and clipped, and Nico immediately followed, running to catch up. “What’s her condition?” Will asked Austin, face deadly serious in contrast to the easy smile that’d been there seconds ago. His work was the one thing Will never joked about. He treated everything as a life-or-death matter - because nine times out of ten, it was.

“She tried to stab the hellhound from above, fell off its back when it disintegrated. This thing was huge, Will. It was at least a fifteen foot drop, if not more. She’d already sustained a number of smaller injuries to her arms and torso, and the fall dislocated her left shoulder. We think she probably has a concussion, but she isn’t conscious, so we’re not sure -”

Will whirled. “She isn’t  _ conscious?” _

Austin paled considerably. “N-no. The fall knocked her out.”

Will let loose a string of curses and broke into an all-out run, banging through the screen door on the side of the house. Nico and Austin were right on his heels, Nico immediately rushing to the store cupboard and grabbing as much nectar and ambrosia as he could find. Two years of helping out in the infirmary had given him a decent idea of what he was doing, or at least what was needed to treat most things. He grabbed a bottle of disinfectant - too much nectar, even applied topically, could be dangerous - a bag of cotton balls, and a few rolls of bandages. 

Shoving the closet door back open with his hip, Nico rushed to a bed on the far side of the room, where Will, Kayla, Austin, and another Apollo camper whose name Nico didn’t know were gathered, as well as a few curious and/or concerned campers. Nico shoved through them, dumping the supplies on the table and handing a nectar-and-alcohol soaked cotton ball to Will. He took it wordlessly, dabbing at the countless wounds on the girl’s arms and midriff, which stood out in contrast to her pale skin. She had short, badly cut black hair, and ripped jean shorts that stretched down to her mid thigh. Her black tank top lay in a pile to the side, discarded to reveal her torso. A few years ago, regardless of his sexuality, Nico would’ve found the sight of a girl in nothing but a sports bra and jeans shocking to say the least. Now, it was just part of the job. When the cotton swab became too dirty, Will threw it away and accepted a second from Nico.

They’d learned to work like this. No words, no feelings, no distractions. Working together to get the job done. To keep the patient alive.

Will prodded her left shoulder - dislocated, Austin had said - and gritted his teeth. “I’m going to have to set this. Hold her down.”

“Wait!” Another girl stepped forward, one Nico hadn’t noticed before. He thought she looked sort of familiar. She had warm olive skin, not unlike Nico’s own complexion, and long, curly brown hair, a sort of burnt cinnamon color. Most of it flowed loose, but there were a few tiny braids woven into it, which reminded Nico a little of Piper. Her cutoff jean shorts and fringed white blouse gave her a kind of edgy angelic appearance, although she didn’t look much like an angel at the moment. Her eyes were wide, tear tracks running down her cheeks. 

Will sighed. “I have to set her shoulder. It’ll hurt for a second, but -”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, “Of course you have to set it. Just -” she grabbed a backpack off the floor and started rummaging through it. Nico stared at her, trying to figure out where he’d seen her before. Her voice held a hint of an Italian accent, but everyone he’d known in Italy was either old or dead. Who was this girl?

“Here!” The girl pulled out a tin of mints triumphantly, handing it to Will.

He looked at her in confusion. “Um…”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Open it.”

He did. Nico raised an eyebrow. “Struffoli?”

Inside the tin was what looked like little marble sized balls of dough. They glistened with honey in the light from the window, sweet and enticing. Nico remembered sunlit afternoons with Bianca, stuffing his face with the little crispy balls and stealing extra when she wasn’t looking. His heart ached a little at the memory.

The girl looked at him in surprise. “Yes. They’re filled with nectar. She already had a lot today, but if you give her one of those she’ll get the pain killing effects without the combustion.”

Will looked at her, impressed. “That’s an advanced trick. Where did you learn that?”

She shrugged. “You pick things up when you need to.”

Realizing he wasn’t going to get anything more out of her, Will leaned over the other girl, placing one of the little balls in her mouth. Nico wasn’t entirely sure if it was a reflex, or if she was starting to wake up, but the girl chewed and swallowed the sweet, eyelids fluttering. 

The Italian girl nodded, stepping back a little to allow Kayla and Austin to her friend’s side. Nico wracked his brain for where he’d seen her before - maybe on the streets? But no, that didn’t feel right…

He moved to the injured girl’s side, holding down her right leg so she wouldn’t kick. Will grabbed her arm. “On three. One. Two. Three.” He shoved the shoulder upward, a loud  _ pop _ resounding through the infirmary. The girl on the bed thrashed a little, letting out a cry of pain, but the four of them held her down. 

The brunette let out a little sound, too, like she was the one who’s arm had been set. Nico looked at her again. There was something… 

Will smoothed the girl’s hair back, his hands glowing slightly as he used his vitakinesis to calm her. Her face muscles relaxed, her body sinking back into the mattress as her breathing evened out, and she slipped into a deep sleep.

Mystery girl relaxed, too, relief evident in her features. She let out a little breath, taking the mint tin from Will and stuffing it back into her backpack. Nico watched her do it, took in her movements, the way she looked and moved and talked. He racked his brain for the answer, sure it was there, somewhere on the edges of his subconscious… 

And then he realized.

He knew who she looked like. Who she reminded him of.

But this wasn’t possible.

She was dead.

Or at the very least, an old lady. Nico remembered now - memories of laughter filled his mind, sunlight glinting off of burnt cinnamon hair, sparkling honey-colored eyes. This wasn’t possible…

Nico stumbled a little, grabbing onto the edge of the bed for support. Will’s eyes snapped to him. “Nico? Are you alright?”

The girl’s eyes snapped to him, too, staring. 

“Nico?” Nico shook his head and looked at Will, who was looking progressively more worried by the minute.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just, um, dizzy spell.”

Will gave him a once-over. “Why don’t you go outside and get some air? We’ve got this.”

“Are you sure?” Nico wasn’t exactly complaining - he wanted out of this situation, now - but he hated to leave Will here alone.

Kayla gave him a nod of affirmation. “You heard him, Death Boy. Scram.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Don’t call me that,” he muttered as he left the building.

Once outside, Nico took a deep, calming breath. Okay. This was fine. Totally fine. Definitely not insane, and impossible, and mildly terrifying. This was fine.

Yeah, it was not fine.

Because he knew who she reminded him of. The girl in the infirmary. The girl with the burnt cinnamon hair and warm honey-colored eyes. He knew.

“Nico?”

Nico whirled, staring at the girl as the screen door swung shut behind her. She jumped a little, then laughed nervously. “Sorry. That is your name, right? It’s what the other one called you.”

He blinked at her for a second. Now that she wasn’t crying, he could hear the Italian in her accent, like a blast from the past. When she’d said his name… 

“Nico?”

Nico shook his head. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. Yes, that’s me. Did you, um, need something?”

She shook her head. “No, uh, just…” She huffed out a dry laugh. “I needed to get out of there. I hate feeling helpless.”

“I know,” he murmured.

Her gaze snapped up to him. “What?”

Nico realized what he said. “Oh, um. I mean, I know what you mean. Being helpless… it sucks. Like, a lot.”

She laughed a little. “Yeah.”

They were silent for a few seconds, and Nico couldn’t help but stare at her. She looked exactly the same. Like they’d never been apart.

“What?”

Nico blinked out of his reverie and saw her looking at him. “What?”

Her brow crinkled. “You keep staring at me like that. Like you’re trying to figure something out.”

He looked at his shoes, shaking his head. “Sorry. You just… you remind me of someone. Someone I used to know.” Because it couldn’t be her. It just couldn’t.

Nico heard a sharp intake of breath, and looked up at her. She was staring at him. “You… you know me.”

His brow wrinkled in confusion. “I - no, of course not. You just look like her, is all. Believe me,” he huffed out a laugh, “You’re not her. It’s impossible in more ways than one.”

_ “Non esiste nulla di impossibile.” _

_ There’s no such thing as impossible. _ Nico stared at her in disbelief. It was something his mother used to say, before everything happened. It was one of the few memories of her he had.

She gave him a tiny, sad smile. “You speak Italian.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Nico?”

She stared at him.

“Nico?”

“Maria?”

She blinked at him. “How - how do you know that name?”

She was silent for a few seconds, staring at him. Confusion filled her features, then understanding. Comprehension.

Relief.

She let out a choked sob, and the next thing he knew she had her arms around him, burying her face in his neck.  _ “Piccolo.” _

He didn’t think he’d ever hear that name again.

Nico stumbled, shocked, and then he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down, curling into the embrace. “Maria,” he murmured, and held her as she sobbed.


	2. Will - Endless Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Literally the title.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, before you read the update, I actually updated the first chapter, too. I went back and read it (I didn't proofread before I posted it), and thought it moved waayy too fast, so I added in some extra stuff, as well as POVs to the chapter titles. Go check that out first, and please let me know if you think it was an improvement! 
> 
> This chapter I'm a bit nervous about, because I basically explained everything in one chapter. Like, this is basically a backstory chapter. After this, we're going to have a bit a fluff, and then some actual plot! Yay! :'D
> 
> Enjoy!

“Nico, are you al-”

Will stopped in his tracks, taking in the scene before him.

The girl from the infirmary had her arms wrapped around Nico’s neck, her face buried in his neck. Her shoulders were shaking, and he could hear her sobbing into his shoulder. She was clutching him almost desperately.

But the _really_ weird thing was that Nico was hugging her _back._ Yes, he’d made a lot of progress over the last couple of years. He could touch someone without flinching. But he still wasn’t a _touchy person,_ persee. At least, not with very many people. 

And yet here he was, not only allowing a total stranger to hug him, but hugging her _back._ Not even just hugging. He was clutching her just as tightly as she was holding him.

“Uh… What’s going on?”

The girl jumped, pulling out of the embrace like she’d been electrocuted. She quickly wiped at her eyes. 

“Uh. Will. Hi.” Nico brought a hand to the back of his neck. “Um…” He glanced between Will and the girl, but his eyes were dull. He looked like he was in shock. “Okay.” Nico pinched the bridge of his nose, brow wrinkling. He sighed. “Okay. Let’s… let’s go to my cabin. I’ll explain everything there. And…” He turned to the girl. “You too?”

She nodded mutely, eyes darting from Will to Nico and back again.

Nico nodded back. “Okay. Good. Good.” He sighed. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Oo0oO

Nico let them into his cabin, closing the door behind him. He sat on the edge of his bed, motioning for them both to sit down. The girl slowly sat next to him, looking around the room. Will sat down on the bed opposite them.

“Okay. Spill.”

Nico swallowed. “Okay. First things first. Introductions.” He nodded to Will. “That’s Will Solace. He’s -” A flash of what looked like panic crossed his face. “He’s my friend.”

Will raised an eyebrow, but let it go. He had to have a good reason for omitting their relationship status. They’d talk about it later, in private.

“Hi.” Will waved awkwardly at the girl. She smiled.

“Hi. It’s - it’s nice to meet you.”

Will laughed a little. “Um, yeah. You too. So, who are you, exactly?” He winced a little at how that sounded, but he couldn’t help the little spark of jealousy that had ignited in his stomach. The way they looked at each other… 

But that was ridiculous. Nico didn’t even _like_ girls. At all. It’d been a sore spot of his for years.

So who was she?

The girl swallowed nervously. “I’m…” She looked down at her hands, and took a deep breath. “My name is Maria Di Angelo.”

Will fell off the bed.

He stared at her. _She - she couldn’t be…_ He felt the blood draining from his face as she looked at him in surprise.

Nico suddenly sat up straight, waving his arms frantically, “No, no! Not - she’s my cousin, Will.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh - yes.” She blushed, laughing a little. “Sorry.”

Okay, still definitely confusing, but less so. Will slowly pulled himself back up onto the bed, eyes darting between the two. He saw the resemblance, now. It was faint, but definitely there. They had the same nose, the same complexion, although she had a bit of a tan. They both had the slight curl to their lip that suggested they were up to something. That also explained why Nico hadn’t told her who Will was to him. Who knew how she’d react, being from the past.

And that explained their connection.

He blushed, suddenly embarrassed. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

She let out another little laugh. “It’s my father’s fault for naming me after his sister.” She wrinkled her nose. “So unoriginal.”

“So… if you’re Nico’s cousin… why aren’t you, like, eighty years old?”

Maria looked at Nico in surprise, and he nodded. “Yeah, he knows. Everyone does, for the most part.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking at Will. “You seem very calm about the fact that your friend is from a different time.”

Will laughed. “I’ve known about it for years.” He shrugged. “It’s nothing compared to some of the other things I’ve seen.”

Nico turned to her. “So… how _are_ you here?”

“Me? How are _you_ here? And why have you aged? _And,”_ she said, poking him in the side, “Since when are you a demigod?”

He paled. “Wait… that’s right. The border.” Nico’s eyes widened. “ _You’re_ a demigod?”

She rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”

“So…” he squinted at her. “Are you my real cousin, or my step cousin?”

Maria looked confused for a moment, but then she groaned. “Oh gods, okay. Um, real cousin, but I’m a child of both my mortal parents.”

Nico raised an eyebrow.

She swallowed. “I’m - I’m a daughter of Hera.”

Will choked. “You’re a _what?”_

She hid her face in her hands, groaning. “I know, I know!” She looked at them. “Okay, so, my parents had… a really good marriage. The perfect marriage. They complemented each other, worked well as a team, didn’t fight. It was harmonious to the point of stupid.”

Nico snorted. “I see the twenty-first century has gotten to you.” 

Maria shrugged, grinning. “What can I say. There are perks to this time. So, my parents had the perfect marriage, but they couldn’t have kids. For some reason. I don’t know. So Hera blessed my mom with a child - me - but I’m still a child of both my parents. But also a child of Hera.”

“So…” Will raised an eyebrow. “You have three parents?”

Maria groaned again. “I know, it’s weird! I don’t even really get it. Hera appeared to me once, after I… after I got here.”

“Which you still haven’t explained,” Nico pointed out.

“Yes yes,” Maria waved a hand at him, “In a minute. So, she told me that I was a demigod. And explained how. She told me I would begin unlocking my abilities, now that I knew about this world.”

Will frowned. “Abilities?”

“Yes. Um. A lot of random things. Like, I can bless or curse marriages, I think,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

Nico snorted. “Sounds like Aphrodite.” 

She laughed a little. “Oh, and I can also do this.”

Holding out a hand, Maria stared intensely at the space above her palm. After a moment, there was a burst of silver, blue, and green, and a wicked-looking dagger appeared in her hand. Its blade was pure silver, engraved on each side with a peacock feather that ran the length of the blade. The grip was simple leather, but a garnet was set into the pommel.

Nico’s eyes widened. “Wicked.”

She grinned.

“So, can you do that with anything? Just, like, make stuff appear?” Will asked, intrigued. 

Maria laughed. “Pretty much. The bigger the object, the more energy it takes, but…” She shrugged with a grin. “If I have the juice, I can do pretty much anything.”

“That could be useful,” Nico said, eyes glittering.

Maria laughed. “Yeah.” Then she raised an eyebrow. “What about you?”

Nico blinked. “What about me?”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Who’s your godly parent?”

“Oh. Um.” Nico blushed, looking down at his hands. “Hades,” he muttered.

Maria grinned. “Death Boy. I get it now.”

He scowled. “Yeah. Don’t call me that. So, how are you here, exactly?”

Maria sighed. “I’m really not sure. After your mother…” She looked down at her hands. “After your mother passed, I went to see you. To give my condolences and all. And…” Maria looked up at Nico, frowning. “You were gone. Without a word. No note, no goodbye.”

Nico winced. “Maria, I’m sorry, I -”

She held her hands up in a placating gesture. “It’s okay, it’s okay! I - I figured something was going on. So…” she grinned sheepishly. “I followed you.”

Nico blinked. Then he sighed, putting his head in his hands. “And you ended up in a hotel in Las Vegas, stayed there for what felt like a few months, and came out seventy years later.”

She blinked. “Um. Yes. How - how did you know that?”

Nico sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. “Because that’s how I came through,” he said quietly.

Maria’s eyes widened. “You - you mean you were there with me the whole time?”

Nodding, Nico looked at her apologetically. “And I suspect that’s why I’ve aged and you haven’t. When did you come out?”

Maria blinked quickly, pursing her lips. “A - a year ago. Roughly.”

Nico nodded. “I - I came through six years ago.”

“Six years…” She was quiet for a long moment. Finally she sighed. “Well, _piccolo,_ I guess you got your wish.”

Nico looked at her, confused. “What?”

She gave him a small smile. “You always wanted to be older than me.”

He gave her a sad smile.

Will studied Maria. She looked to be around fifteen, although she could just look old for her age. Being a demigod did that to people. She would’ve been a few years older than Nico when he left.

Now he was a year older than her.

Just thinking about that made Will’s head spin.

“So… if you didn’t know Nico was here, why did you come? How did you even find us without a guide?” Will asked.

Maria looked at him and shrugged. “Hera told me to. She said I would be needed for the upcoming battle, and that we should head to Long Island. Find a place called Camp Half-Blood.”

Nico groaned. “Another battle? Didn’t we just _have_ a battle?”

Maria looked at him with a look of such complete and utter bewilderment, Will _had_ to crack a smile. He knew how insane the sentence probably sounded to an outsider, but hearing that there was an upcoming battle was really just another day at Camp Half-Blood.

Then Will realized what she’d said. “We?”

Maria turned to Will, then blushed. “Oh. Uh, yeah. Um.” She sighed. “I didn’t come to this time alone.”

Nico’s eyes widened. “What?”

She gave him a small smile. “Well… I told Iza and Antonio that you and Bia had disappeared. They wanted to come with. Iza was the one who found out you’d flown to America - through one of her connections. Antonio tracked you across America.”

Nico stared at her in wonder. Will had no idea who Iza and Antonio were, but they were clearly important to Nico.

“Where - where are they?”

“Well…” Maria sighed. “You just saw Iza, actually.”

Nico blinked, then jumped to his feet. “That was _Iza?!”_

Maria laughed. “Yes. She’s always been the most rebellious of us. When we got to this time, and she discovered this whole new world of fashion, she…” Maria grinned. “She went a little crazy.”

“Iza…” Nico sank back onto the bed in shock. “And she’s a demigod, too?”

“Yes. Daughter of Zeus. Antonio was one as well. A son of Ares.”

Nico shook his head. “What are the chances,” he murmured. Then he turned to Maria. “Wait, what do you mean, was? Where is he?”

Maria pursed her lips. “Antonio…” She closed her eyes, her expression pained. “Antonio didn’t make it,” she said quietly. “A - a _dracaenae._ Six months ago now. Speared him through the heart.” She took Nico’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

Nico’s eyes filled with pain, and he squeezed her hand.”Dead…”

Maria swallowed. “He - he wanted Bianca to know that he was sorry. For what happened. He - he didn’t mean for things to go down like that, and then when you disappeared…” She sighed. “I don’t know how we’re going to tell her.” 

Nico looked at her, eyes wide, his expression full of pain. “Maria… Bianca… She…” his voice gave out, and he looked down.

“Bianca died six years ago.”

Maria looked at Will in shock, face paling. He looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

She didn’t do anything for a moment. Then, slowly, she wrapped her arms around Nico. “Oh, _piccolo,”_ she said softly.

They sat in silence for a long moment, digesting everything. The dagger Maria had summoned had disappeared at some point, presumably back to wherever it’d come from in the first place. She kept her arms around Nico, and he let her hold him, not saying a word.

Nico hadn’t talked about Bianca in years. Will had never pushed him. The son of Hades was healing, yes, but he was nowhere near healed. So much had happened to him, and at such a young age. He needed to deal with everything that had happened in his own time, in his own way, and when it came to Bianca, Will had always gotten the feeling that he was waiting for something.

As he looked at the two people in front of him, though, a tiny family mourning the loss of one of its own, Will realized that it wasn’t a what that Nico had been waiting for.

It was a who.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ideas for what powers Hera's kids might have came from Camp Demigod Wiki Fandom.


	3. Nico - Friends (And Other People)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the family! But in reverse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh heh. Hey. So, it's been a bit. Sorry about that. I genuinely kept meaning to post this, but things kept happening, life kept getting in the way, and honestly, I haven't been in a good head space for writing. Or doing anything, really, besides binge watching Avatar, eating ice cream, and watching the apocalypse unfold via the Daily Show.
> 
> Long story short, sorry I'm late :'D
> 
> However, I have spent waaayyy too much time reading Solangelo fanfics and hilarious Solengelo memes on Instagram (@pjoandco is legitimately a goldmine of hilarious Riordan-related content), to the point that I have fallen in love with these children all over again. So. If and when I actually do write the next chapter (kidding, I will definitely write it, but it might be a while), get ready for a full body slam of Solangelo :'D
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Antonio was dead.

Somehow, it almost didn’t register. Nico had thought that he was dead, anyway. Either that or close to it. Five minutes ago, he hadn’t even known that there was a possibility of the version of Antonio he remembered being in this time. But somehow, having that idea dangled in front of him, and then snatched away just as quickly, hurt more than if his childhood friend had just died of natural causes.

And then there was Bianca.

Nico faintly remembered them having a fight. He’d been too young at the time to understand what it was about, too young to care. All he’d known at the time was that two of the most important people in his life were fighting, and he’d wondered if it was his fault. Now that he was older, he remembered snippets of their argument, shouted words of hurt and anger. But he couldn’t really remember much. Between his dip in the Lethe, his age at the time, and his limited knowledge of the situation, Nico had all but given up hope on ever knowing what had happened.

And yet here, sitting next to him, was someone who knew exactly what happened. Who had been there, maybe even been part of the argument. Who was with Antonio at the end. Here was someone who had all the answers, and would tell him without hesitation.

So why couldn’t he bring himself to ask her?

Somewhere in the back of Nico’s mind, he noticed Will getting up and leaving the cabin. He let him go. This wasn’t exactly easy to process, and he was probably going to check on Iza.

Besides. He was glad for the time with his cousin. There were a few things they needed to work out, and as much as Nico loved Will, it wasn’t something that left much room for a third party.

Gently, Nico pulled out of Maria’s embrace, squeezing her arm gently to let her know he was okay. She pulled away, too, although she stayed right next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Neither said a word for a while, letting the things they’d shared with one another fill the silence. Processing.

How many times had they sat like this when Nico was younger? How many hours were spent in silence, shoulder to shoulder, just being with one another? They’d never needed many words. Maria understood him, better than anyone. Better than himself. Better than Bianca, even, and she’d been able to anticipate his needs (and mischief making) with terrifying accuracy. It was a bit ironic, perhaps, considering that Bianca was much closer to him in age and was, after all, his sister. But Maria understood him on an emotional level, in a way that was only possible when two spirits had been together for a few lifetimes, and for that reason she’d always been his closest friend. 

Now that scared him. Maria had always been able to tell who he liked, who he didn’t, and exactly how strong his feelings were. What if she discovered his and Will’s relationship? Nico didn’t think that she, as a person, would be the type to condemn him for who he loved. But like it or not, she was from the same time period he was. And if Nico could hate  _ himself _ as much as he did, for so long, how badly would Maria react?

He’d just gotten her back. Nico didn’t know what he would do if he lost her again.

Finally, he spoke. “So… what now?”

Maria huffed out a short laugh. “Your guess is as good as mine. As it was, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do when I got here. And now you’re here…” Then she shook her head. “You know what? Let’s not worry about it. Not right now.” She took his hand and smiled. “We’re together again. The last of the  _ picolli terrori.” _ Nico snorted, remembering the name their little group had been given after a particularly rowdy game of hide-and-seek.  _ The little terrors.  _ Maria squeezed his hand. “Right now, that’s all that matters.”

Nico squeezed back, smiling. “Okay.”

“Good.” Maria stood and stretched, releasing his hand. “Now. First things first.” She smiled, eyes sparkling in a way that Nico knew signalled danger. “I want to meet your friends.”

Oo0oO

Nico should’ve known this was a bad idea.

After grabbing his aviator jacket - though he’d never admit it, the thing gave Nico a certain sense of security and comfort, both of which he appreciated at the moment - Nico took Maria to the dining pavilion. She hadn’t eaten since that morning, and Nico knew that the best way to process bad news was to eat. Plus, at least one of his friends was guaranteed to be there, and Maria was quite vocal about the fact that she wanted to see who had raised “her little  _ piccolo.” _

Nico frowned when she said that. “Well actually, most of the people who were around when I was younger are gone.”

Maria’s brow wrinkled. “Gone?”

Nico shrugged. “Moved on. Percy and Annabeth are at college in New Rome.” At her confused face, Nico waved a hand. “Later. That’s a whole different kind of crazy. Piper’s in Tahlequah last time I checked, and Leo and Calypso are god only knows where. Hazel and Frank are praetors,” again he waved a hand, “Later, and Reyna is off with the Hunters of Artemis. Honestly, most of the friends I have here right now are relatively recent.”

“How old are your friends?” Maria asked, frowning.

Nico let out a short laugh. “I’ve always hung out with the older kids. Look at you guys. You were all friends before I came along. Bianca was the closest to my age, and, well, she kinda  _ had _ to hang out with me.”

Maria snorted. “She didn’t have to do anything. And didn’t.”

Nico grinned. “Fair enough.”

“Well, they have to come to visit you at some point, right?”

He shrugged. “Or I’ll visit them. I usually go to Camp Jupiter around the time the Hunt stops by, so I can see everyone then. And Piper usually stops by during that time too.”

Maria grinned. “Well, then, I’ll see them then.”

Nico smiled back. “Okay.” Then he blinked. “Oh, yeah. Did I tell you about Hazel?”

“Um… the praetor?”

Nico winced. “Uh, yeah. But she’s also… kinda my sister.”

Maria stared at him.

“On my dad’s side!” Nico said, holding his hands up. “She’s… also from the past.”

“Did she come through the Hotel?” she asked.

Nico huffed out a short breath. “Uh, no. She… kinda… died. And I brought her back.” He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a long story.”

Maria let out a little laugh. “It sounds like it. But… I’m glad. That you had someone.”

Nico smiled softly. “Yeah. Me too.”

She ruffled his hair. “They did a good job with you,  _ piccolo.” _

He wrinkled his nose at her. “Shut up. And you’d better not call me that in front of anyone.”

Maria grinned. “We’ll see.”

Sure enough, when they got to the dining pavilion, Cecil Markowitz was there, stuffing himself with turkey and cheese like his life depended on it. When he saw Nico, he waved, standing and walking over. “Hey, Neeks.”

Nico scowled at him. “Don’t call me that, Markowitz.”

Cecil grinned. “Whatever, man. Who’s this?” He nodded to Maria. “I didn’t think they usually gave you the new kids.”

Nico grimaced. “They usually don’t. Thank gods. This is Maria Di Angelo, my cousin.”

Cecil raised an eyebrow.

“Long story.”

“With you, everything is.” He held out a hand. “Cecil Markowitz. Son of Hermes.”

Maria took it, smiling. “Maria Di Angelo, daughter of Hera.”

Cecil choked.

Maria laughed. “Wow, that’s really entertaining. Yes, it’s possible, and no, trust me, you don’t want to know.”

Cecil shook his head, stunned. “Di Angelo, you’ve got a weird family.”

Nico scowled. “Believe me. I know.”

Maria smacked him on the arm. “Didn’t your mother teach you to respect your elders?”

“Yes.” He smiled sweetly at her. “But you’re not my elder anymore.”

Maria groaned. “You’re going to be insufferable now.”

Nico’s smile turned wicked. “Yep.”

“Whatever. I need food.” And with that, Maria pranced over to the buffet table they used for lunch.

Cecil watched her go, and then slowly turned back to Nico. “You have a really, really weird family.”

Nico sighed. “I know.”

Oo0oO

They ate lunch with Cecil - well, Cecil and Maria ate, Nico had already eaten - and then said goodbye to Cecil, who had archery next.

“Wish me luck,” he said, letting out a long suffering sigh.

“You’re so dramatic,” Nico said, rolling his eyes. “It’s not like you’re going to war.”

Cecil scowled at him. “It’s the  _ Hermes cabin, _ Nico. With  _ weapons.” _

Nico frowned. “Point taken.”

After that, he and Maria headed to the infirmary to check on Iza. Nico was also hoping that Kayla and Will would be there - Kayla could talk for hours, and so could Maria, so he hoped that if they started talking, he’d be able to slip away and explain his situation to Will. He didn’t want his boyfriend thinking he didn’t want Maria to know about them because of something he did, and being with Will cleared his head. Maybe he’d be able to help figure something out.

On the way up to the Big House, Maria perked up. “Oh yeah. So, you have friends.”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“And a sister.”

“Yeesss?”

“So…” Maria grinned. “Anyone…  _ else?” _

Nico stared at her. “Huh?”

“You know… someone… special.”

Nico blinked at her.

Maria huffed. “For heaven’s sake, do I have to spell it out?”

“Umm…”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you  _ like _ someone?”

Nico felt his entire face turn crimson as he thought of Will, tall and tan and irritatingly sunshiney…

Maria gasped, clapping her hands together. “You  _ do!” _

Nico raised his hands in the air, “No, no, Maria…” He sighed. “It’s complicated.”

She rolled her eyes. “Isn’t it always?”

Nico couldn’t help but snort. “True.”

Maria squealed. “Oh, I’m so happy for you! So, when can I meet her?”

Nico felt like he’d been slapped. He knew that she didn’t mean it that way, she didn’t know, she  _ couldn’t… _ but still… 

_ Her. _ When can I meet  _ her. _

“Um, maybe soon. We’ll… we’ll see.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you.” She grinned. “Much. Gosh, I can’t believe it! My little  _ piccolo, _ all grown up.”

“Shut up,” Nico grumbled, crossing his arms.

They bickered the rest of the way up to the infirmary. It was nice, in a way. Nico hadn’t realized how much he missed her. But despite his happiness, Nico couldn’t push away the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

_ Her. _

Why couldn’t anything ever be easy?

They found Kayla tending Iza, cleaning up the last of the blood and bandaging the last of her wounds. She smiled when she saw them. “Hey.”

Nico waved. “Hey. Um, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Maria walked up next to him.

Kayla nodded, still smiling. “We met earlier. Maria, right?”

Maria nodded. “Yes, but, uh…” She glanced at Nico, unsure of what to say.

Nico gave her a reassuring nod. “This is Maria Di Angelo. My cousin”

Kayla’s jaw dropped. “Your…  _ cousin?” _

“Yep.” Nico grinned. “Long story. Came through the same way I did.”

Kayla shook her head, eyes wide with amazement. “Di Angelo, you have a weird family.”

“You have no idea.” Then he nodded to Iza. “How is she?”

Kayla sighed. “Okay. She’s gonna be out for a while, she needs to heal, but…” She smiled. “She’ll be fine.”

Maria sighed in relief. “ _ Grazie Dio.” _

Nico laughed. “Just the one?”

She elbowed him. “Oh, shut up.”

Kayla watched the exchange with a little grin. Nico noticed and scowled at her. “Shut it, Knowles.”

Kayla threw her hands in the air. “I didn’t say anything!” She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a drama queen.”

Maria snorted. “You have no idea. He used to throw tantrums every time we went anywhere without him. It was like having an overly attached puppy.”

“HEY!” Nico swatted at her, and she laughed, dodging and sticking her tongue out at him.

Kayla cracked up. “Oh, that is  _ so _ going in the blackmail box.”

Nico scowled. “Do you have a death wish?”

“Whatever, Di Angelo. That stopped being scary years ago.”

Nico looked a little miffed at that. 

Maria laughed. “Nico? Scary?”

Kayla nodded seriously, although her lips twitched a little. “Oh, yes. Nico here went through an emo phase which, by the way, he hasn’t fully recovered from, as you can tell by the black jeans and aviator jacket that stopped being cool sometime in the 1960s.”

“It’s warm,” Nico grumbled.

“It’s  _ summer,” _ Kayla retorted.

“An  _ emo phase?” _ Maria leaned her elbows on the table, hands cupping her face, eyes wide. “Do tell.”

“Please don’t,” Nico groaned, but Kayla was already off, telling her all about the three year period that all of his friends loved to refer to as his “emo phase.” Nico pretended to be irritated, but in truth, he was glad. The girls were so caught up in making fun of him, they didn’t even notice when he slipped away.

He found Will in the back room, restocking the shelves. The light was off for some reason, and Will’s back was to the door, so when Nico came in, he didn’t immediately notice. Nico watched him for a moment, noting the way the little light there was caught in his hair, turning it a thousand different shades of gold, how his muscles rippled under his shirt as he reached up, placing jars of nectar on the shelf above him, how he seemed to radiate light and warmth and sunshineyness…

Nico’s mind flashed back to Maria.  _ Her. _

No. Nico had worked too hard. Come too far. He wasn’t backing down now.

Nico crossed the room in a few strides, grabbed Will by the hips, turned him around, and kissed him. Hard. Will stiffened for a moment, clearly caught by surprise, but then he was sliding his arms around Nico’s waist, kissing him back. 

Despite the few inches Nico had grown since he was fourteen, he was still quite a bit shorter than Will - he knew he’d never catch up to the other boy completely. But as much as he griped about it, he didn’t really mind - he loved that when Will embraced him, the rest of the world got shut out. He felt safe in Will’s arms. Protected.

_ Her. _

Nico kissed him harder, letting his hands trail up Will’s chest, feeling the muscles underneath his camp shirt. Will sucked in a breath, and Nico did it again, touching the tips of his fingers to the material softly. He moved back to his waist, pushing his hands under the other boy’s shirt and letting his hands explore the bare skin, the muscles contracting under his touch. Will let out a low moan, and Nico couldn’t help but grin against his mouth, flattening his palms against his chest. Will pulled away, trailing his lips gently along his jaw. “You little shit,” he whispered in a low voice, his lips brushing Nico’s ear, and he felt a shiver run up his spine. Nico didn’t answer, instead pressing his lips against the underside of Will’s jaw and then leaving a row of lingering kisses along his neck. 

_ Her.  _

He felt Will swallow, and he pushed him backward, against the wall, hands clamped around his biceps. He pulled Will down for another kiss, and he drowned in it, letting the sensations overtake him until he was so lost he could no longer hear the voice. The word. He pressed upward harder, and harder, running from it, from everything. From everyone.

But then, to his surprise, Will pulled back a little. He kept his arms firmly wrapped around Nico’s waist, but he moved back enough to look Nico in the eye.

“What?” Nico asked, his voice low, hungry. His eyes flicked to Will’s lips, and he leaned up again, but Will caught him, hand cupping his face gently. His eyes searched Nico’s face.

“What’s wrong, darlin’?” he asked softly, the nickname lilting and sweet in his slight southern accent. 

Nico swallowed. “Nothing,” he said quietly, looking down. 

“Hey.” Will gently brought Nico’s eyes back to his, and the gentleness of his gaze nearly broke Nico in two. “You can talk to me. You know that, right?”

Nico nodded, swallowing again.

“So what’s wrong?”

Nico sighed. He knew he could talk to Will. It was just… well, kissing him until Nico could no longer remember why he was upset seemed much easier. And more enjoyable.

_ That’s not fair to him, _ said a little voice in his head.  _ You’re using him. _

Nico scowled. Sometimes he really hated that voice.

“Nico?”

Nico looked back up at Will, and sighed. “It’s… it’s Maria.”

Will sighed, too. “I thought it might be.” He chuckled a little at Nico’s surprised expression. “What, I’m not that dense! You had enough issues with… well, this. Us. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to deal with someone else.”

Nico shook his head, looking down. “It’s not like I blame her. She was brought up in a different time, same as me. It - it just kinda sucks.”

Will nodded. “I know,” he said gently. “So… what happened?”

Nico groaned, leaning forward and pressing his face into Will’s chest. “On the way here, she… she asked me if I…  _ liked _ anyone.” He felt Will chuckle and smacked him on the arm. “Shut up,” he grumbled.

“Sorry,” Will said, not sounding very sorry. “Continue.”

“Well… she knows me. Really well. So, she figured out that I liked someone, and…” Nico closed his eyes, fisting his hand in Will’s t-shirt. “She asked me when she could meet her.”

Will winced, tightening his grip around Nico’s waist. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, sliding his other arm around Nico’s shoulders and resting his chin on top of his head. “That must’ve been hard.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled quietly.

Will pressed a kiss to the top of his head, holding Nico tightly. Neither spoke for a long time.

“Are you going to be okay?” Will finally asked.

“I don’t know,” Nico responded.

There was silence for a moment. “Okay.”

And that was that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grazie Dio - Thank God
> 
> Nico: I hate you. Leave me alone.
> 
> Will: I'm trying??? Let go of my hand.
> 
> :'D @pjoandco. Iconic.
> 
> See ya next time!


	4. Maria - Secrets I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria has some conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is actually only half of the chapter, but I couldn't get the willpower to write the other half, so I figured I'd just post. The second half will come out at some point :'D In other news, I had my last day of school yesterday! Probably the saddest graduation to ever happen (except for seniors, I'm so sorry), I don't think my school even tried honestly. But whatever.
> 
> Enjoy!

“He did  _ what?!” _

Kayla laughed, shoulders shaking, eyes sparkling. She really was quite pretty, with freckled cheeks and a perpetual dimpled grin. Her bright blue bell eyes had a spark of mischief in them, making them gleam dangerously. Her hair was a bit odd, ginger at the top, most likely her natural color, and brilliant green at the ends, but oddly enough, it didn’t make her look bad. If anything, it made her more interesting to look at.

Maria blushed. Bad thoughts. Shut up.

_ “Yes! _ He just walks up to Kronos, one person in a sea of monsters, and says, ‘Is it too late to join the party?’”

Maria doubled over in laughter. Though she wasn’t as familiar with the dry humour Nico seemed to have adopted, she could still appreciate the hilarity of the moment. And, although most people wouldn’t be able to reconcile this Nico with the ten-year-old bubble of happiness she’d known in Venice, she could easily see that boy in this one. He’d grown up a bit, was all. He was still the same person.

“Talking about me, are we?”

Maria turned and grinned. Nico was standing behind them, trying - and failing - to suppress a smile. She was still getting used to him being taller than her - and older than her - but she knew that with time she’d get past that. And besides. Nothing, repeat, _ nothing _ would ever make her anything less than his older cousin. Whether he liked it or not.

“Yep. You’ve done an amazing amount of stupid things over the years,  _ piccolo.” _

Nico scowled. “Like you haven’t done worse.”

Maria raised an eyebrow. “You teleported a twenty foot statue halfway across the world in less than a week, nearly dissolving into a puddle of shadows in the process, and then proceeded to carry out a stealth mission into an enemy camp and fight an army of monsters. And  _ then,” _ she continued, walking over and poking him in the arm, “It still took  _ two days _ and a  _ forced admission _ to the infirmary for you to take any rest.” She prodded him to punctuate each of the exaggerated words.

Nico brushed her off, glaring at Kayla. “Seriously, Knowles? Couldn’t you tell her the stories that  _ won’t _ have her on my back for the next century?”

Kayla raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. “And what stories, pray tell, would those be? Because your life for the past six years has basically been a string of very stupid things that, more recently, you are then yelled at about by Solace.” She grinned. “And those bits aren’t funny unless you get to witness them.”

Maria felt Nico stiffen beside her. She wondered why. Will Solace seemed like a good guy, and they were clearly very close. She wondered if they’d fought. She hoped not. They’d seemed fine in the cabin, so the only possible explanation was that they’d fought about her, and the last thing she wanted to do was cause problems for Nico. He seemed to have a really good life here. She didn’t want to ruin it.

“I’ve gotten better,” Nico grumbled, and Maria relaxed a little. Maybe he’d only been getting a little defensive.

_ “Piccolo, _ when the standard for  _ better _ is not constantly working yourself to the brink of death, I don’t think it objectively counts.”

Nico glared at her. “Since when is your English so good?”

Maria grinned. “Since I was in America for a year. And don’t worry.” She smirked. “I’m up to date on all the latest slang.”

Nico groaned. “Excellent. Just excellent.”

At that moment, Iza moaned on the bed, shifting slightly. Maria was at her side in an instant, grabbing her hand. “Iza?”

The girl groaned again, her brow furrowing and her lips tightening. It looked like she was in pain.

Maria whirled back around to face Kayla. “What’s happening? Is she alright?”

Kayla strode over to the other side of the bed, laying the back of her hand across Iza’s brow, where beads of sweat had started to form. She frowned. “She’s running a fever. It might be an infection.” She turned and grabbed a syringe filled with a yellowish liquid, holding it up to the light and tapping it.

Nectar.

Maria leaped forward, knocking it out of her hands. “No!”

Kayla stumbled backward, bumping into the bedside table. “What in the name of Hades?”

“I - I’m sorry, but you can’t give that to her. She’s already had far too much of it today. The  _ struffoli _ was a risk, but nectar injected straight into her?” Maria shook her head. “She won’t survive.”

Slowly nodding, Kayla stepped back to the bed. “Right. Sorry.” She smiled at Maria. “Good reflexes. You may have just saved your friend’s life.”

Maria fought the urge to scowl.  _ Friend. _ She wasn’t…

_ Later. You can deal with this later. _

Nico spoke up from behind them. “I can go and get some of the mortal antibiotics from the closet. I’m pretty sure we have some of the strong stuff.”

“We do.” Will Solace pushed his way through the door at the end of the ward, his arms full of bottles. He moved to the bedside table and dumped his armload, face grim. “I wasn’t sure the nectar would be enough, considering the amount of injuries she sustained. Apparently I was right.” Grabbing a sterile syringe from the pile, Will poked it through the top of one of the bottles, pushing the plunger and filling the glass tube about halfway. Then he did the same thing Kayla had with the other syringe, holding it up to the light and gently flicking it. Apparently satisfied, he grabbed an alcohol swab and swiped it quickly over the inside of Iza’s elbow. Taking hold of her wrist, he extended her arm and held it still, and with careful precision inserted the syringe into a vein, pushing the fluid in.

Immediately, Iza stilled, her breath evening out. Will took a step back and sighed. “There’s some painkillers and a mild sedative in there, too. Hopefully she’ll be able to sleep through the night.”

Kayla nodded. “You want me to take a night shift?”

Will shook his head, “No. You need sleep just as much as I do. I’ll find someone, don’t worry.”

“I’ll do it.”

All three heads swivelled to look at Maria, eyebrows raised. She blushed, but didn’t back down. “I don’t think I’m going to sleep much anyway. And I want to be here when she wakes up -”  _ To make sure she doesn’t go blabbing things to Kayla that should really be explained properly. _ “- To make sure she’s alright.”

Will shrugged, nodding. “I don’t see why not.”

Kayla nodded in agreement.

She turned to Nico last. He looked worried. “Will - will you be alright?”

Maria laughed. “Of course I’ll be alright,  _ piccolo.” _ She grinned. “Why? Afraid I’ll tell her something embarrassing?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Shut up,” he grumbled.

“Okay, well in that case, come on up here around eightish and I’ll tell you what to do!” Kayla smiled at Maria.

Maria smiled back. “You got it.”

Oo0oO

Nico, Will, and Maria spent the rest of the afternoon walking around camp, giving Maria the “grand tour.” They showed her the climbing wall, lava cascading down its front, and the canoe lake, where the Hecate campers were rowing around, occasionally casting an illusion and getting someone wet. A dark-haired girl with striking green eyes waved at Nico, grinning at him mischievously. He waved back, chuckling a little.

Maria grinned, elbowing him in the side. “That her?” she asked under her breath, quietly enough so that Will, who was talking to another camper, wouldn’t hear. She didn’t want to embarrass Nico. Much.

“W-what?” Nico stared at her, cheeks blazing red and eyes wide. “What are you talking about?”

Maria laughed. “Is that her? The girl you like? She’s very pretty.”

A muscle in Nico’s jaw twitched, and his hands balled into fists. “No,” he said, and hunching his shoulders, he turned and walked off.

Maria blinked. Sure, she’d been teasing him, but that’s all it was! Teasing! What on earth had gotten into him?

Will walked up beside her. “Where’s Nico?”

Maria huffed. “I don’t know. I was just teasing him, and he got all angry and stalked off.”

“What… what were you teasing him about?” Will’s tone was careful.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t want to accidentally out Nico about liking someone if not many people knew, but she also really wanted to know what she’d done wrong. Deciding to risk it, Maria replied, “Nico told me he likes someone. I was just taking a guess at who. Didn’t know he’d get all defensive.”

To her surprise, Will didn’t react much, just sighed softly. “Maria… Nico’s love life is kind of a sensitive topic. He - he liked someone. A long time ago. And the person didn’t like him back. He’s over it now, but he’s still kinda… touchy about it.”

Unrequited love. It all made sense now. He was probably afraid to show his feelings for fear of being rejected again. Maria groaned, burying her face in her hands. “What have I done?”

Will chuckled a little. “It’s not that bad. He’s always a bit of a grouch. Just give him a few minutes, and he’ll come traipsing back with his tail between his legs, and probably feel bad about it for the next week. You’ll see.”

Maria smiled, looking at Will. “You’re very close to him, aren’t you?”

Something in Will’s face changed. Almost like he was sad. “Yeah. I am.”

She put a hand on his arm. “I’m glad. You’re a sweet guy, and Nico needs good friends. I’m glad he had you.”

Will smiled at her. “Thanks.”

But although his smile and his thanks were sincere, his face and voice still had that edge of sadness to them.

Maria wondered what on earth was going on here, and why she wasn’t being told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuuhhhh
> 
> I'm sorry I need sleep.
> 
> I'll release the second half soon I promise!!


	5. Maria - Secrets II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No spoilers ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Second half! Sorry it took a bit, I've been kinda depressed (I'm sorry that's always my excuse but life is depressing right now :'D), I hope y'all like this though!
> 
> Also, would someone please explain to me how betaing works? I know what it is, but how do you get a beta, and what's communication like? Thank you in advance!!
> 
> And @iSpitonFire, I'm sorry!! I know I promised full relationship explanations, but unfortunately I only got the one in there :( But I hope you still like it!
> 
> Enjoy!

Sure enough, Nico did come back, “tail between his legs,” so to speak.

“Sorry,” he muttered to Maria.

She smiled at him. “It’s fine.”

He gave her a small, half-hearted smile, and it broke her heart. She kind of wanted to find whoever had hurt him and put a fist through their face, but she knew that wasn’t fair. You couldn’t force yourself to fall in love any more than you could force yourself to fall out of it. Much as she sometimes wished you could.

They showed her the rest of the camp, including the arena, where she knew she’d be spending a lot of time. She’d always had an affinity for the daishō, the dual swords worn by the Japanese Samurai in ancient times. Her grandfather, who’d been a US Ambassador, had traveled many places, both for work and pleasure, and had brought her back a matched set from one of his many trips. She’d fallen in love immediately, and although it was hardly a practical fighting style to be trained in, she’d insisted they find a teacher so she could learn to use them.

That teacher was long dead, but she was quite advanced now, enough so that a sparring partner would be more than enough for her to progress in her training.

Nico laughed when she told him. “I remember those things! I used to be terrified you’d use them on me.”

Maria raised an eyebrow. “Used to be?”

Nico gulped.

Will dissolved into a fit of laughter, grabbing a nearby tree to help him stand. “G-gods, Maria. You’re like the Greco-Italian version of Reyna.”

“Reyna?” Maria’s brow furrowed.

Nico nodded, hopping over a few rocks. “Remember, the one who joined the Hunters of Artemis? She used to be praetor of New Rome.”

Maria remembered now. She’d been one of the friends Nico had mentioned having “moved on.” She raised an eyebrow. “Is that a good thing?”

Will grinned. “She took over a pirate ship when she was twelve.”

Maria grinned back. “I like her already.”

“Gods forbid you two ever meet,” Nico muttered. “I’d never hear the end of it.”

Will laughed. “Yeah, Reyna is basically his older sister. She Iris messages him once a week to make sure he’s taking care of himself.”

“Iris message?”

“Oh, right,” Will said, laughing, “You don’t know what that is. Basically, you make a rainbow, usually out of water, and then throw a drachma through and say who you want to contact. Iris is the Greek goddess of the rainbow, so she connects you.”

“Huh.” Maria smiled. “That could be useful.”

Will laughed again. “It is.”

“Well then,” Maria said, eyes sparkling, “I’ll just have to be present for one of these Iris messages.”

Nico groaned.

Oo0oO

That evening, all three of them went to the dining pavilion for dinner. It was a bit more formal than lunch, with what Nico told her were wood nymphs serving platters of food, and goblets that would fill with whatever drink you wanted. Apparently, everyone was supposed to sit with their siblings at designated tables, but Nico had a “doctor’s note” from Will saying that he’d get depressed sitting at the Hades table all by himself. She laughed when he told her that. Nico really hadn’t changed one bit.

Since Hera didn’t actually have a table - until now, it was thought to be impossible for her to even have children - Maria sat with her closest (and currently only) relative - Nico.

When she reached the table, she saw Kayla, who must’ve taken a break from the infirmary to eat dinner, a dark skinned boy she remembered being called Austin, and a Spanish girl who introduced herself as Margarita Santiago.

“And no,” Margarita said with a grin, “I was  _ not _ named after the drink.”

Maria laughed. “So, are you guys it? All the Apollo campers?”

Will snorted. “I wish. These are just the year-rounders. We get about a dozen more during the summer, along with any newly claimed campers.”

“It’s a circus,” Nico muttered darkly.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that I was told I was the best head counselor ever.”

Nico looked at him skeptically. “Who said that?”

“Rebecca.”

“You let Rebecca do whatever she wants!”

“She’s seven and adorable, what do you want from me?”

“You’re the  _ head counselor, _ you’re supposed to be immune to adorable children.”

Will scoffed. “That’s just sad.”

Nico scowled at him. “You’re just weak.”

Will gasped in mock offense. “Am not!”

“Are too!”

Maria raised an eyebrow. “Are they always like this?” she murmured to Kayla.

She laughed. “Yes they are. They’re like an old married couple.” Then she froze. “Not that, uh, it’s not normal, or anything, I mean I know a bunch of people who are like that with their friends.”

Maria laughed, although she was a little confused. Why was Kayla acting like she’d done something wrong? “I think it’s sweet. They’re obviously very close.”

Kayla relaxed. “Um, yeah. They are.”

“Oh yeah,” Maria said, changing the subject, “So what’s this campfire I keep hearing about?”

Austin chuckled. “That’s after dinner. Trust me, it’s better if you witness it firsthand.”

“Actually,” Kayle said, a sheepish look on her face, “Maria agreed to take the night shift at the infirmary. You won’t be able to go.”

“It’s alright,” Maria said with a reassuring smile, “I’ll go tomorrow. Iza should be a bit better by then, right?”

Will, who’d taken a break from bickering with Nico, nodded. “Hopefully. We might have to keep her for an extra day, but the majority of the healing will probably happen tonight while she’s asleep.”

Maria smiled. “See? Maybe I can even bring her.”

Will smiled back at her. “Maybe.”

Kayla nodded, too, clearly relieved that Maria wasn’t upset. Then she perked up. “Oh yeah, so Maria, what’s the story with you and Iza? Is she also related to you two?”

_ Gods forbid, _ Maria thought, nearly choking on her sparkling grape juice (hey, she’s a rich Italian girl from the thirties! The only reason it wasn’t wine was because apparently the goblets didn’t do alcohol).

“You good?” Nico asked her, patting her on the back. She waved a hand to indicate she was fine.

“No, uh, she’s just a close friend. Of Nico’s and mine, actually.”

“Oh!” Austin said, surprised. “So she’s from the past too?”

Maria smiled. “Yep. I know. To look at her, you wouldn’t guess it.” She sighed. “Iza’s parents were a bit… overbearing. Wanted her to be the perfect lady. They were some kind of royalty - I think her mother was a duchess of some kind? Anyway. She was always more of a tomboy. Would rather be out in the woods or throwing daggers than inside doing needlework.”

Nico grinned. “I actually do remember this one time when we busted her out of an embroidery lesson.”

“There were a few times, actually,” Maria said with a grin. “Her mother was furious. So, when we got to this time, and she realized that she could do pretty much whatever she pleased, she went a little… crazy.”

“Understatement,” Nico muttered.

Maria elbowed him. “Says the boy who went through a three-year  _ emo phase!” _

Nico groaned. “Kayla, I officially hate you.”

“Me!  _ You’re _ the one who never brought me breakfast this morning.”

“There was a demigod!”

“Di Angelo, there’s  _ always _ a demigod.”

Nico scowled at her, but didn’t respond, clearly realizing he was beat.

When they finished dinner, Nico, Will, Austin, and Margarita headed to the amphitheater for the campfire, while Maria followed Kayla back up to the infirmary.

“So, this actually isn’t that hard,” Kayla said, pushing through the screen door. “Just hang out in here, make sure she’s alright. If you get tired, you can honestly just crash on one of the infirmary beds, she’ll probably sleep through the night.”

Maria nodded, although secretly she hoped Iza didn’t. They needed to talk in private before she talked to anyone else.

Kayla was still talking. “Anything happens,” she said, walking over to Iza’s side table, “Press this button.” She held up a large red button. “It’ll send an alert to the Apollo cabin, one of us will come up here and fix her up.” 

“Aye aye, captain,” Maria said, giving her a salute.

Kayla laughed. “Alright then, I think you’re all set.” She smiled warmly. “And… thanks. For doing this. If you hadn’t, Will probably would’ve, and that boy hasn’t slept in at least three days.”

Maria smiled back. “No problem.”

The other girl perked up again. “Okay then, have fun!” She left the room, and Maria heard the screen door bang shut.

The first hour was actually pretty boring. Maria had left her bag here all day, not really sure where else to put it, so she settled herself in the chair by Iza’s bed and went through the contents, reorganizing and throwing away the things she no longer needed. The backpack was bigger on the inside, a gift from Hera, and as a result she could store pretty much anything in there. Including her swords.

Maria drew out the matched set, the long-reaching katana and shorter wakizashi. She’d brought them with her from the past, one of the only things she’d brought on their wild goose chase across North America. Getting them through customs had been murder, but now she was glad she had. The daishō were one of her only links to the past. Well, them, and the girl in the bed.

As if reading her thoughts, a voice spoke up. “They really are gorgeous, you know.”

Maria’s head snapped up, and she stood, racing the few steps to Iza’s side. “Iza?”

She grinned sleepily. “The one and only.”

“Are - do you feel alright? Do you want anything? I’m pretty sure there’s some water around here somewhere -”

Iza cut her off. “Maria Di Angelo, the only thing I want right now is you. So shut up and c’mere.”

Maria smiled softly, leaned over, and pressed her lips to Iza’s.

It wasn’t the first time they’d kissed. Far from it. But everytime they did, it was like fireworks. Iza’s lips were a little cold, probably because of the amount of blood she’d lost, but they were soft, and perfect. Her hands came up and slid around Mari’s hips, guiding her so that she sat down on the edge of the bed, and Maria steadied herself with her elbows, placing them on either side of Iza’s head.

After a long moment, she gently pulled away. “Are you really okay?”

Iza rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. But where are we, exactly? Last thing I remember, the stupid hellhound decided to dissolve under me. What happened?”

“We made it,” Maria said with a small smile. “We’re at Camp Half-Blood. The infirmary, to be exact.”

Iza’s eyes widened. “So… we’re safe?”

Maria nodded, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. She realized that although they’d arrived that morning, she hadn’t really let herself relax. She’d known, objectively, that she was safe, but the threat of losing Iza, although small, had kept her from truly feeling safe.

Smiling, Iza reached up with her good arm, cupping Maria’s cheek. “Did you work yourself up again,  _ mi amore?” _

Maria sniffed softly. “No.”

Iza laughed and pulled her down for another kiss. It was soft, and sweet, and Maria realized just how much she loved this girl. 

And just how complicated this whole situation was.

When they pulled apart, Maria sighed. “There’s… there’s something else, too,” she said softly, resting her forehead against the other girl’s.

Iza’s brow wrinkled. “What?”

“You’ll never guess.”

Iza rolled her eyes. “Maria, just tell me for heaven’s sake.”

“Well…” Maria sighed, closing her eyes. “There’s someone here. Someone we weren’t expecting.”

“Okay…” Iza waited for her to continue.

“And it might… complicate things. A lot.”

“Maria… what is it? Who’s here?” Iza’s eyes were getting worried now, her hands tightening a little on Maria’s waist.

Maria closed her eyes.

“Nico. Nico’s here at camp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER I'm sorry I couldn't resist :'D
> 
> I don't know why but the first half of this chapter was honestly so hard to write, I think I just wanted to get to the end because I LOVE THESE TWO SM UGH
> 
> On that note, I'm actually liking this fic a lot more than I thought I would - I know that sounds weird but if you know me you know I NEVER finish multi chapter fics - but since I only had a small plot in mind, I'd really appreciate it if you guys could leave some suggestions of where to take this in the comments! I still have a bit more planned, and I can't promise I'll use them all, but I think it would be really cool to involve the readers a little! I'll give credit in the notes, of course ;) Thanks!!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are legitimately my life, so drop a line! Chapters go out as they're written. Ciao!


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